Hi! My name is Yossi Berktin, but you most probably know me as Rabbi B. I was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario.  I was born Jewish but grew up in a very secular environment. I truly feel that my upbringing was the best and ultimately I see that Hashem must have felt that way too. I grew up when cartoons reigned supreme, television was my friday night candles and rock music guided the way. But looking back, all the stuff I had collected in my irreligious world could be elevated and brought to use in my service to the Jewish community, and to Hashem at large. From my interest in the guitar, an obvious export from my past, to my watching Mr. Dressup and Mr. Rogers, hence the crafting segments and sweater cardigans, everything I had amassed in my youth would come back to good use in making this world a little better for Jewish children. 

I began my journey to Torah and Mitzvos just after my Bar Mitzvah.  After graduating from high school, I enrolled at the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, NJ.  I studied hard for five wonderful years there and continued my rabbinical studies in Yeshivas Lubavitch Toronto. 

Once married, and with my first child on the way, I decided to continue my professional development at York University where I completed a Bachelors in Psychology followed by a Masters in Education. Upon graduating, I decided to look for an area in Jewish education that was lacking and I discovered that there was little to no music and creativity programming in the Jewish day schools and chedarim. I also found that the Torah based entertainment sector was deficient, both in quantity and quality. So, I set myself out to create a persona/character with the intention of fusing engaging entertainment with Jewish culture and Torah values. 

My educational philosophy is that children need both structured direction and self-motivated discovery. I figured, "Rabbi A" could be the teacher in the classroom, with books and curricula and I, as "Rabbi B", could provide the open-ended, creative, discovery side of learning. I set out to ensure that the children I taught could 'get out of their seats', both literally and figuratively, and learn without being taught or directed. I would bring instruments and manipulatives for the kids to play and express music. I tried to expose students to a variety of music types and genres and encourage them to seek out music in their own lives. I used storytelling through music to broaden their cultural literacy and help bolster and educate their imagination. 

I worked for over ten years in Toronto Jewish day schools as a music teacher and director. My roles and responsibilities included in-class music lessons, holiday performances, school assemblies and teaching the ukulele. I was given ample room and time to develop my educational style and outlook and became a key element in the overall spirit of the school. 

In 2017 I was hired by Suki and Ding to replace the long standing Uncle Moishy character. I was under the impression that he was retiring. We worked for just under two years continuing the character's legacy, but I felt like it an actor, and not sincere in my performances. For that and some other reasons, I decided to say a respectful goodbye and thank you to Suki and Ding, thus putting my performing focus back to Rabbi B. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, I found myself struggling with teaching zoom class after zoom class (I taught over twenty-five individual classrooms a week!). I thought of the brilliant idea of recording one lesson a week and then sharing that video with the multiple classes I was responsible to teach. Not only did that provide these children with some great entertainment, it allowed me to develop some filming and editing skills. When I completed my Pesach lessons, I decided to share them on Youtube. With Hashem's help, the video was very well received and I was encouraged to make more. So for the next three years, I would make Rabbi B episodes and videos for Youtube while keping my nine-to-five teaching job. 

In 2024 I made the decision to take Rabbi B on as my full time pursuit. It is really where I want to be and where I feel like I can have the most impact on the Jewish world at large. Baruch Hashem I have visited dozens of cities and entertained thousands of children and, with Hashem's help, I hope to keep doing it for many years to come. 

Until Moshiach comes, 

Rabbi B